1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine with a breather apparatus, and more particularly to an engine with a breather apparatus which is preferable for preventing a water from freezing within a breather passage.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a compact general-purpose engine used in an engine driven type power generator or the like, in order to introduce a blow-by gas into an intake passage, a breather tube is arranged in an outer side of an engine. Accordingly, in this type of engine, the breather tube is exposed to an outside air temperature. In a cold district in which the outside air temperature becomes significantly low, there is a possibility that a water content contained in the blow-by gas passing through the breather tube is frozen so as to close the breather tube.
As countermeasures against this problem, for example, in an engine described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-151917, there is attempted to heat the breather tube by introducing a discharged air passed through a cylinder, a muffler or the like corresponding to a high temperature portion during an engine operation to an outer peripheral portion of the breather tube. Further, in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. 61-2253, there is proposed a blow-by gas introduction apparatus structured such as to heat the breather tube by an electric heater.
In the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-151917, since the cold air is blown at a time of starting the engine, it is not possible to obtain an effect of heating, but there is rather a possibility that the freezing of the water content is promoted by blowing the cold wind. Further, in the apparatus described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. 61-2253, since the breather tube and a connection portion between the breather tube and the engine become considerably low temperature, a heating effect can be obtained only by using a heater having a large heat capacity. Granted that the heater having the large heat capacity is used, there is a problem that it is not easy to secure a layout space.